My Sweet Darling: How can I Help you, Miss?

Lance sat in his usual desk spot, books on plants and fauna stacked neatly around him as he looked over the list of plants he had found previously. Ferns, Algae, Moss, Clays... So many potential ingredients to restock. Oh wait. He crossed out moss with a flourish of his pen. Uneven clopping sounds can be heard outside the door, causing lance to pause momentarily. His ear flicked and stood to attention, listening.

 

 Knock knock.

 

"Coming! Hold please." Odd.. he didn't have any scheduled treatments for today. He carefully stands from his workdesk to get the door. The hinges creaked in their usual greeting. A fluffy dull hued cervitaur greeted Lance's vision. She was taller than him, his head only reached her shoulder, causing him to instinctively look up, staring her in her clear Everest green eyes. She had short ashy taupe hair just reaching the tops of her shoulders. 

 

"Is.. is this Lance's place?" She asks, holding up the map Kaytlyn had given her in the hall. 

 

"That's me, last I checked. How can I help you, miss?" He asks with a small smile up to the fluffy woman.

 

She puts the map away with a small relieved sigh. "Haa, perfect. I've been told you work with hooves?” she starts, looking back down at the blue volaitaur. “I um.. have a rock that's making it quite uncomfortable to walk." She says in a soft smooth tone. 

 

oh! Emergency call. He quickly moved out of the way of the door and waved her in. "Come in, come in. Take a seat on the bench to the left." He's already putting on his work apron that was hooked up next to the door. 

 

she walks in, still not putting pressure on her front hoof. Pretty evident which one is bothering her. Carefully the woman walks over as best she can, taking each step slowly. She quietly takes a seat on one of the elongated benches, her delicate features scrunching into a wince as she moves. "Ach-"

 

"ah- careful Miss! Take all the time you need to move." He says quietly, moving onto the bench across from her, pulling out a few tools and a cloth from under the seat. "Before I do anything- might I ask how this happened?"

 

The cervitaur lady nods softly. "I'll be careful, thank you. Oh, I got this from a small tumble." She says with a small bit of embarrassment. "I was gathering herbs out by the rocks and slipped. I think I caught myself wrong, one of the smaller pebbles must have angled itself a little too well." She adds with a small chuckle to lighten the mood.

 

gold frames get carefully pushed up his nose as he listens along, and couldn't help but smirk. "Ah, I see. Lucky you came in soon after it happened." At least he's assuming she did. He taps the area at the front of the bench with two fingers curtly. "Could you bring the hoof that's bothering you here so I can get a look?"

 

"mh." She hums quietly, lifting her hoof slowly. Don't want to hurt it again. A fluffy white leg gets extended and rests on the edge. Long wisps of hair almost covering the cloven toes entirely.

 

he looks from the fluffy hoof back to the woman with a small face of quiet awe. So fluffy- no no. Be professional. He shakes his head lightly before moving the fur out of the way, clipping it up so he could see better. "If it hurts at all, please let me know miss.. miss.." ah. Forgot to ask for her name-

 

"Call me Nettie, and I will do." She says with a small smile and nod. Slowly she laced her hands together, watching him work intently.

 

he runs a finger over the edge before looking at the underside. Healthy. Like really healthy. Hmm, scratches. Looks like a wanderer. With a small brush he cleans off the small amount of grit between her toes.

 

she couldn't help but tilt her head closer to watch. Curious. She hadn't actually gotten a good look at him when she walked it, and soon her gaze moved up to his horns. Woah- crystals.. Huh.

 

With the hoof now clean he looks over one side, running a finger over the area to look for the problem rock.. hmm. Not this one.

 

She looks at the crystalline protrusions with a small gasp. Does.. does that hurt? He doesn't seem in pain. Hmm. He's also blue. I wonder what kind of deer he is. Little did she realize she had been leaning forward even more.

 

ah! His finger nicks something. A non hoofy something. Hm? He looks up, only to meet the inquisitive gaze of Nettie. So close-. "Oh- um is there something you're looking for?"

 

"ah- I'm sorry it's just.. I've never seen horns like yours before." She says with a small hum, leaning back in her seat.

"oh these? They're nothing special, at least not by volai standards." He says with a chuckle. Cute... Hey- no- professional Lance. Be professional-. "I can't say I see hoof fluff like yours miss, at least not on a cervitaur. It's quite impressive." He finally settled on. That's not too improper.. right? Oh dear-

 

Now this was intriguing. "Ah- thank you. My species is rather soft thanks to the climate- wait Volai?" She asks quietly.

 

"mh. There aren't many around here, little blue deer like creatures from Lyra. Even less Volaitaurs. As far as I'm aware, I'm the only one that's in the guild." He starts to say, shifting his gaze back to the woman's hoof. Lance pulls out a small tool from his kit. Tweezers. Though they have an odd angle to them.

 

"Now that explains your unique look, I can definitely say I haven't seen anything quite like you." She giggled.

 

"Aw, how kind of you Miss Nettie. " He says in turn with a small appreciative laugh of his own. He's in a bit of a quiet pickle though after that last comment, the poor man's cheeks are burning. She.. she thinks I'm special?

 

"it's not a problem, I only speak the truth- oh did you find the problem pebble?" She asks on seeing the tweezers, unaware of his plight.

 

he doesn't look up, resigned to letting himself calm down though work. Professional.. you are on the clock. Don't say something stupid. "Mhm, don't look too deep, though it's close to a nerve which might explain why you were feeling it so badly." With the tweezers, he starts to live it up on the protrusion to get a good clamp on it. "Now this is where it might get a little painful. If you want me to stop, please tell me immediately."

 

she nods slowly, moving her hands to the edge of the bench. Brace yourself. "Mh. Go ahead." Behind her on the bench Nettie's tail starts to wiggle back and forth.

 

slowly but surely, he starts to pull with his tweezers. With bated breath, the rock starts to dislodge itself... Still going. One of the man's fuzzy blue ears points up at Nettie, while the other is tilted down. Listening. Listening for something off.

 

huh. He must have been lying about the pain surely..? It didn't hurt at all, who knows if it's because of her hearty Reindeer tolerance, or Lance's patience. Either way she was happy

 

no sign of discomfort. Whew. With a small clack a long sharp rock slips out of the tweezers onto the floor. "ah! And there's the culprit!" He chuckled, leaning over to pick up the pebble.

 

Her tail couldn't help but continue to wag. pfft- what a dork~. "liten skurk!" Goodness it was sharper than I thought-" she snorts, putting a hand out to touch the pesky rock.

 

he does one better, handing it to her, a pale hand brushing against her. "I'll say- mind if I treat the area with some tonic just to be safe?" He asks, finally having the courage to look back up at the kind woman.

 

she laughs again. Soft and Sweet. "Go right ahead, I'd rather not deal with any infections or nasty plights later." She says with a small smile, obscuring it partly with a hand.

 

there's that blush again, only the corners of his cheeks luckily. My gods- "y-yes. Especially during the wet seasons, it's a terrible terrible feeling." He stuttered out lightly. From his apron pocket he pulls out a few bottles, splashing a little of the liquid contents of one onto a hand towel he had grabbed previously.

 

"oh? Do you speak from experience?" She jokes with a smirk. Nettie sniffs the air curiously. pine and ... Moss? "What a peculiar smell."

 

The blush persists as she dabs the rock entry. "luckily not personally, though I treat a few thrush cases every winter." He hums softly."Oh this? It's a salve I made myself. I found the moss in these parts has a soothing effect when mixed with a few other herbs. Is the smell bad-?" He asks with a little concern. It is rather potent..

 

she waves her hand with a giggle. "Not at all. I find it rather nice. It reminds me of home in all honesty. Oh? You go foraging yourself?" That caught her attention. Foraging was a necessity back in her forests, especially during winter. Could.. is it the same for Lance?

 

he nods slowly. "Yes, back in Lyra I would be the identifier for the kids when we taught them how to properly forage." He says with a low gaze, obviously fond of the memories. Ah. Rambling. "Though my last gathering was with a friend, Sigrid. If you end up sticking around the guild you'll most likely see her."

 

"aw, how sweet.. oh are they your kids?" She asks with a slight baited breath. Damn.. he was cute too. Of course he has someone..

 

Release the blush! "Huh? OH- Heavens no, I was merely one of the educators for my tribe's kiddos.. not that I don't want any- I mean-" he starts to sputter, trying his best to keep a steady hand for wiping down the area. Good job Mr. Professional.

 

soft brown ears flick up with interest. "What a commendable prospect Lance, you sound so kind. Though now I'm curious. She says with pursed lips. "So do you have a partner?" She asks bluntly.

 

his hand freezes as he looks up to Nettie. "I um.. no I do not." He admits sheepishly, pulling the salve cloth back after a moment.

 

she couldn't help but hide a smile. Wonderful~. "My apologies, I was just curious." Her tail begins to wag behind her gently. Easy to read.

 

"it's.. quite alright miss Nettie.." He whispered. Pull it together. Come on. He carefully applies a cotton ball to the area, packing it in the gap left by the stone.

 

she winces a small bit as the cotton gets tamped down. "Hhf-."

 

"ah- I'm sorry- I just wanted to pack it- I'll uh- I'm sorry again-" He says looking around for something else. Oh gods I hurt her- Gauze. Where's the gauze?

 

she puts a hand on the panicked man's shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. "Lance, it's seriously quite alright. You're doing what you're doing so I don't get hurt later." She assured him with a low honey sweet voice. "I'm a tough girl, you think I can't handle a little pain?" She jokes.

 

"t-that's not what I intended to imply, I'm sorry-" he couldn't help but sputter on.. though he gets grounded. Composed. The volaitaur looks down at her hand then back at her and nods. "Right. If you don't mind, I only need to wrap it then you are all set." He says more in his usual polite cadence.

 

she smiles, removing her hand after one more squeeze. "Do all you need, I trust your expertise."

 

All he could do was nod, quickly pushing his glasses up and going back to his work. He carefully starts to unravel and cut a thin strip of sticky gauze, tacking one end to the back of her hoof. With his other hand, he rolls it back, around, and between her toes

It's still sticky, a few unclipped strands of hair dare to spill onto the gauze. Lance inhales slowly, talking in the moisture from the air. As he exhales he closes his eyes, putting a hand over the area.

 

".?" She didn't move a muscle. What could he be doing? I'd ask .. but he looks so focused.

 

A long steady breath leaves the man's lips, and with a touch, the sticky gauze hardens. Little frosty patterns weave and lace together in a naturally intricate way. ".. whew. And there we are. You should be able to remove that in a couple days. If anything is out of the ordinary, please come back so I can take a look." He manages to say With a smile

 

she reaches down, poking the 'cast' with a finger. hard. "How did you.? Do you.. possess elemental magics.?" She asks, slipping the pebble in her hand into one of her tunic pockets.

 

"mh, are you familiar with them?" He asks in return. "As for the how, I found out about a particular plant from Aridin that reacts to the cold. Perfect for a natural cast." Lance explains with a dorky smile. It was one of his favorite things he's made since being here, an instant compostable cast

 

"ah! That's amazing! Yes I know of them, I may not have powers like that but I know people who do.. and now it seems I know another." She says with a tiny wink. Cold.. so a sky or.. maybe a water elemental?

 

he checks over the hardened wrap, making sure it's fully set.. whew. Set perfectly. "Around here we're common, least in the guild. It's quite fun, everyone is very creative with their abilities." He says fondly. Fire for cooking, air for music, heck that little goblin who visits can gather crystals. It was all so wonderful

 

"Sounds like it! I can only imagine how useful it is, might I ask.. what is your power? Besides being a healer." She chuckled lightheartedly

 

"hm? Oh, water! Or in my case, frost." To 'prove' the point, a small puff of frost lifts from his fur. "Back home, while we didn't have snow, I lived in colder parts of the mountains. It's become helpful in regulating my body temperature now that I'm away." He says, lowering his gaze again. The last sentence was said with a small twinge of somberness

 

The reindeer woman watches the frost with an amused smile, clapping her hands at the little trick. She however, picks up on the melancholy quickly. "Are you ... Unable to get home if you don't mind me asking?"

 

He takes a minute before nodding. "Yes. My um, Portal closed not long after I arrived. I can still go back, but I need a magic item to do so. An expensive item." He explained apprehensively. Why .. Why was he telling her these things? Why was she interested.? The volaitaur in turn starts to put away the tools and salves back in the correct pockets, trying to avoid eye contact

 

"oh Lance.. that's awful. I'm so sorry if I brought up any bad feelings." She says softly, moving a few stray strands of ashy blonde hair from her face. Seems he's.. been through a lot. She looks at his hands, wishing to grab them to comfort him.. no. Too much at once

 

"no no, you're fine." The man assures politely. Dammit- why was she apologizing? He's the one that brought things down. On a customer no less. He slowly starts to take off his apron, folding it over his arm and sliding off his bench. "With that, you are good as new." He says, trying to lighten the mood again

 

"mh, thank you again Lance. I'm in your debt, ah! How much do I owe you?" She says, pulling out a small coin purse from her bag

 

"oh no charge- this was an 'emergency' in my eyes so don't even worry about it." He assured again, holding a hand out for her to balance.

 

She takes the offered pale hand, standing up with a small start. Huh. Foot didn't hurt too bad. "Nonsense, you just said you needed money to get back home. It's the least I can do." She says, opening the purse.

 

he pushed the bag down, shaking his head. "Seriously, I won't take it. I save plenty from day to day appointments. It's really fine, miss Nettie."

 

she starts to trot to the door, pausing as she reluctantly puts the bag away. She looks glum, though quickly a sly smile crosses her lips. "Well, if you won't take any money, how about I treat you? Care to join me at a cafe sometime in the next few days?" She asks, looking up at lance with an expectant look

 

his brow raised considerably. * Huh-*. "Treat me? I couldn't- I shouldn't- I wouldn't want to waste your time." He stuttered quietly, shifting his weight between his legs nervously.

 

she gets closer, looking up at his purple eyes through the gold frames. "Let me put it this way, I wish to go on a date with you Lance." She states bluntly with a small smile. "You've piqued my interest." Her fluffy white tails wavers back and forth excitedly

 

his breathing stopped. Date? Him??? What- He looks at the now very close woman with a small glitter in his eye. ".. yes. YES! I would love to go on a date." He finally squeaked out. "I um.. can close the shop up on Wednesday if.. that works?"

 

she nods with a gitty smule "it's a date! We can meet here then go to a little place I know for lunch, sounds good?" She says nonchalantly, tail is still going just a little faster now.

 

he nods shakily. Is.. is this real ... Is this how people get asked out.? "Mh. I um.. I look forward to our meal, Miss Nettie." He says quietly, blush creeping back over his nose now.

 

she reaches out, caving to her urge, and grabs his hand. "Please, just call me Nettie. I'll see you here Wednesday, 10:30 sharp." She says, giving his hand a little squeeze.

 

he squeezed her hand back gently "yes mis- Nettie. Nettie. I'll see you here."

 

It takes her a minute, but she slowly lets go of his hands reluctantly. "I better, I won't forgive you if you flake." She chuckled with a small playful wink. She gives Lance a small wave, turning on her newly wrapped hoof and trotting out.

 

The poor volaitaur continues to stand there, giving her a quiet wave as she leaves... Once he's sure she's gone, he takes a shaky seat on the floor, dropping the apron in his grasp. "... What.?" Is all he could manage, slightly shell shocked still. He.. got asked out! Someone asked him out!

Lance lets out a small shaky sigh, slowly getting up from the floor after a few quiet minutes. He dusts off his legs before returning the apron to its hook. Back to his work he supposed. With a small warm smile, he clip clops back to his desk. He's too distracted to focus, but it's definitely an upgrade from the floor.

 

 I wonder what flowers she'd like